Obama raising money in DC as GOP votes in Fla. (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama is spending an evening with high-end donors, raising big money for his re-election campaign as his GOP opponents battle in Florida's primary.

Obama is attending two small fundraisers Tuesday evening, each with tickets priced at $35,800 each, with proceeds going to his campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

The president is speaking to around 50 people at the swanky St. Regis Hotel in Washington and then to a group of nearly 70 at a private home in Chevy Chase, Md.

The events are to get under way as polls close in Florida, where Mitt Romney is hoping for a strong showing in his bid to become the GOP nominee against Obama in November.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_el_pr/us_obama

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Angela Meade given Sills award by Met Opera

(AP) ? Soprano Angela Meade has won the Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers.

The annual award, which carries a $50,000 prize, was announced Monday. It is given to singers from 25-40.

Meade sings Elvira on Thursday in the opening of the Met's revival of Verdi's "Ernani," the role she sang for her company debut in 2008.

Previous winners include Nathan Gunn (2006), mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato (2007), tenor Matthew Polenzani (2008), bass John Relyea (2009), soprano Susanna Phillips (2010) and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (2011).

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-30-Met%20Opera-Sills%20Award-Meade/id-b8c6efe578c5411e90a4250eaa00c913

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Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O.7 gaming mouse now on sale, F.R.E.Q 5 headset hits pre-order

Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O.7 gaming mouse now on sale, F.R.E.Q 5 headset hits pre-order

Gamers looking for some hardware assistance can breathe a sigh of relief; Mad Catz's latest eye-catching forays into gaming mice and headsets are almost, if not already, upon us. The Cyborg M.M.O.7 mouse (£130) manages to offer up 78 definable commands beneath those eye-catching metallic hues and is available to buy now, while its F.R.E.Q 5 headset ($150) has hit pre-order on the manufacturer's site. Acronym-loving thrill-seekers can check out both at the source below.

Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O.7 gaming mouse now on sale, F.R.E.Q 5 headset hits pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/30/mad-catz-cyborg-m-m-o-7-gaming-mouse-now-on-sale-f-r-e-q-5-head/

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Private investors near deal on Greek debt (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? A disorderly and potentially devastating Greek debt default is looking much less likely.

Greece and investors who own its bonds have reached a tentative deal to significantly reduce the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion bailout.

Negotiators for the investors announced the agreement Saturday and said it could become final next week. If the agreement works as planned, it will help Greece remain solvent and help Europe avoid a blow to its already weak financial system, even though banks and other bond investors will have to accept multibillion-dollar losses.

Still, it doesn't resolve the weakening economic conditions in Greece and other European nations as they rein in spending to get their debts under control.

Under the agreement, investors holding euro206 billion in Greek bonds would exchange them for new bonds worth 60 percent less.

The new bonds' face value is half of the existing bonds. They would have a longer maturity and pay an average interest rate of slightly less than 4 percent. The existing bonds pay an average interest rate of 5 percent, according to the think tank Re-Define.

The deal would reduce Greece's annual interest expense on the bonds from about euro10 billion to about euro4 billion. And when the bonds mature, instead of paying bondholders euro206 billion, Greece will have to pay only euro103 billion.

Without the deal, which would reduce Greece's debt load by at least euro120 billion, the bonds held by banks, insurance companies and hedge funds would likely become worthless. Many of these investors also hold debt from other countries that use the euro, which could also lose value in the event of a full-fledged Greek default. This is the scenario analysts fear most and why they hope investors will voluntarily accept a partial loss on their Greek bonds.

The agreement taking shape is a key step before Greece can get a second, euro130 billion bailout from its European Union partners and the International Monetary Fund. Besides restructuring its debt with private investors, Greece must also take other steps before getting aid. It must cut its deficit and boost the competitiveness of its economy through layoffs of government employees and the sale of several state companies, among other moves.

Greece faces a euro14.5 billion bond repayment on March 20, which it cannot afford without additional help.

The country got its first bailout in May 2010 when the EU and the IMF signed off on a euro110 billion aid package, most of which has already been disbursed.

Private investors hold roughly two-thirds of Greece's debt, which has reached an unsustainable level ? nearly 160 percent of the country's annual economic output. By restructuring the debt held by private investors, Greece and its EU partners are hoping to bring that ratio closer to 120 percent by the end of this decade. Without a deal, analysts forecast that ratio ballooning to 200 percent by the end of this year as the Greek economy falters.

Meanwhile, Greece's public creditors ? the IMF, the EU and the European Central Bank ? are baffled by the government's repeated failure to meet deficit targets. They want more government wage cuts. That is meeting resistance by Greek politicians afraid of losing an election tentatively scheduled for the spring. But those same politicians also worry that the nation will be denied a second bailout if doesn't reduce its deficit.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Saturday night asked those who oppose structural changes to reconsider their stance.

"The coming days will be decisive for the next decade ... We must answer to tough dilemmas and we must do so with foresight and a sense of responsibility and not hide behind each other," he told reporters after meeting with the public creditors.

In return for the first bailout, Greece's public creditors have unprecedented powers over Greek spending. However, Greece's problems will not be fixed simply by cutting government spending. In order to bring its debts to a more manageable level, the country must also find ways boost economic output, which would enable it to collect more taxes.

If no debt-exchange deal is reached with private creditors and Greece is forced to default, it would very likely spook Europe's ? and possibly the world's ? financial markets. It could even lead Greece to withdraw from the euro.

Sarah Ketterer, co-manager of Causeway International Value Fund, a $1.4 billion mutual fund that invests in European stocks, said the region's markets have rebounded this month largely on expectations that negotiators would reach a deal along the lines of the one being finalized now.

Any last-minute breakdown in the talks could trigger a sharp decline in European markets, she said. But a rally is unlikely if negotiations succeed.

"The equity markets have ... largely already discounted this, and you can see that in the confidence that has returned in European equities since the end of December, and especially for financial stocks," Ketterer said.

She said there "really was no other option" than reaching a deal for bondholders to take a haircut of 50 percent or more.

Ketterer said a Greek deal could help restore bond market confidence. That would help Italy manage its own debt crisis ? one that Ketterer views as more critical than Greece's because of Italy's greater size.

The investors who own Greek bonds are being represented by Charles Dallara, managing director of the Washington-based Institute of International Finance, and Jean Lemierre, senior adviser to the chairman of the French bank BNP Paribas.

___

AP personal finance writer Mark Jewell in Boston, Elena Becatoros in Athens and Gabriele Steinhauser in Brussels contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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Movie Scores: How the critics rated the new movies (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Liam Neeson continues to impress critics with his reinvention as an action hero as he approaches 60 in this weekend's "The Grey."

Neeson stars as one of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded in the snowy Alaskan wilderness when their plane to Anchorage crashes. AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle only gave the movie two stars out of four, though, saying: "`The Grey' is not `Jaws,' and it's certainly not `Moby-Dick.' In the script by (director Joe) Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, adapted from Jeffers' short story `Ghost Walker,' the philosophical subtext is forced and obvious."

Also opening this weekend to far less favorable reviews is "Man on a Ledge," starring Sam Worthington as a disgraced New York cop who threatens to jump off the 21st floor of a hotel to deflect attention from a heist going on across the street. AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire gave it one and a half stars out of four, writing: "`Man on a Ledge' is so cliched and reheated, it almost feels like a parody of a generic action picture ? only no one seems to be in on the joke."

Here's a look at how these movies and others fared on the top review websites as of Friday afternoon. Each score is the percentage of positive reviews for the film:

? "The Grey": Metacritic, 64; Movie Review Intelligence, 63.5; Rotten Tomatoes, 76. Average: 67.8.

? "Albert Nobbs": Metacritic, 58; Movie Review Intelligence, 64.2; Rotten Tomatoes, 53. Average: 58.4.

? "Man on a Ledge": Metacritic, 40; Movie Review Intelligence, 42.9; Rotten Tomatoes, 22. Average: 35.

? "One for the Money": Metacritic, 13; Movie Review Intelligence, 11; Rotten Tomatoes, 0. Average: 8.

___

Online:

http://www.metacritic.com/

http://moviereviewintelligence.com/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_en_mo/us_movie_scores

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Gingrich-Romney GOP debate propels CNN in ratings (Reuters)

NEW YORK, Jan 27 (TheWrap.com) ? CNN hit the sweet spot with its GOP candidates' debate in Florida Thursday night, registering its best performance in the key demo during this election cycle and its second largest total audience.

The Wolf Blitzer-moderated sparring contest drew 5.4 million total viewers and 1.74 million in the adults 25-54 demo, the fourth best demo performance of any debate thus far and the second best among cable news networks.

Fox News' debate in Iowa December 15 still reigns supreme in cable with its 6.7 million total viewers and 1.87 in the demo, while ABC's Iowa debate takes the cake overall in total viewers. NBC's "Rock Center" debate in Florida January 23 set the bar for the demo.

As those numbers suggest, CNN's debate is in the middle of the pack overall, but for the network they are substantial.

As Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney fought over grandmas, immigration and tax records, viewers pushed CNN well ahead of its cable news foes Thursday night, and the network held onto its lead in the 10 p.m. hour.

CNN is slated to host the next scheduled debate February 22: Yes, viewers get a reprieve from the nearly endless series of debates -- unless another pops up before then.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/tv_nm/us_cableratings

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Let Freedom Rain: Rogers Communications wants to change ...

I love when the right and big corporations use the 'free speech' (or in this case, 'freedom of expression') argument from everything to excusing defamation and libel to putting out false claims about products.
The legal battle with Rogers began in November 2010, when the bureau went to court to levy a $10-million penalty for a "misleading advertising" campaign involving the company's Chatr discount cellphone service. The bureau is also asking the court to order Rogers to pay restitution to affected customers and refrain from engaging in similar campaigns for the next decade.?
The national advertising campaign, launched with the entry of upstart competitors like Wind Mobile in the market, claimed that Chatr had "fewer dropped calls than new wireless carriers" and its customers have "no worries about dropped calls."?
The bureau says it conducted an investigation, which involved an extensive review of technical data obtained from a number of sources, and concluded there was "no discernible differences in dropped call rates between Rogers' discount service and new entrants.
I bet those Charter or Rights haters are just fine with Rogers using it to achieve dubious ends. And who is Rogers' lawyer anyway? Ezra Levant?

Source: http://letfreedomrain.blogspot.com/2012/01/rogers-communications-wants-to-change.html

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Yankee matchup

Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey

By STUART CONDIE

updated 5:43 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2012

LONDON - Landon Donovan set up both goals for Everton, which rallied to beat Fulham and Clint Dempsey 2-1 Friday night for a berth in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

With the two biggest stars on the U.S. national team facing each other for the first time in six years, Danny Murphy put Fulham ahead at Goodison Park with a 14th-minute penalty kick that beat American goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Donovan's cross from the right flank was headed in by Denis Stracqualursi in the 27th minute for his first goal for Everton. Again passing the extreme right side, Donovan's cross was headed in by Marouane Fellaini in the 73rd minute.

Teammates on the last two U.S. World Cup teams, Donovan and Dempsey had not faced each other since May 6, 2006.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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With the two biggest stars on the U.S. national team facing each other for the first time in 6 years, Landon Donovan?leads Everton past Clint Dempsey's Fulham.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46169073/ns/sports-soccer/

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Samsung 4Q profit rises 17 pct on smartphone sales (AP)

SEOUL, South Korea ? Samsung Electronics Co. reported a 17 percent jump in fourth quarter profit on the strength of smartphone sales even as the company battled claims it had copied Apple's iPhone.

Samsung said Friday in a regulatory filing that its net profit reached 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in the three months that ended in December. The company earned 3.4 trillion won in the same quarter a year earlier.

The Suwon, South Korea-based company said its operating profit jumped 75.8 percent to 5.3 trillion won in the fourth quarter. The figure was closely in line with the company's estimate earlier this month of a 73 percent rise.

The company, however, posted an operating loss of 220 billion won in its display division in the fourth quarter despite a sales increase of 19 percent from the previous year.

"If profit in handsets continues to stream in, this year will also likely be a solid one for Samsung," said Jae Lee, an analyst at Daiwa Securities in Seoul. "The biggest threat would be if the global economy worsens."

Samsung, the world's biggest manufacturer of memory chips and liquid crystal displays, said demand for semiconductors in mobile products and servers remained solid despite weakness in personal computers, which face stiff competition from the rising popularity of tablets.

Samsung has over the decades grown into a key global manufacturer of components that let PCs, digital music players and handsets store data and display it on flat, high-resolution screens. The company has recently been stepping up its challenge against Apple Inc. in the global smartphone business, releasing models such as the Galaxy S II.

Cupertino, California-based Apple, which spurred the smartphone boom with the launch of its iPhone in 2007, has accused Samsung of "slavishly" copying its smartphone and iPad in design, user interface and packaging. Apple sued Samsung in April last year in the United States.

The legal battle has now spilled into 10 countries, according to Samsung officials. Court rulings so far have tended to side with Apple.

Lee said legal battles with Apple would start weighing less on Samsung this year as the South Korean company is expected to release models with new designs.

The quarterly profit brought 2011 net profit to 13.7 trillion won, down 15 percent from the previous year.

Samsung shares rose 0.4 percent to 116,000 won in Seoul.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_hi_te/as_skorea_earns_samsung

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UK refinery of Petroplus back in production (AP)

LONDON ? The British refinery owned by collapsed Swiss energy company Petroplus Holdings has resumed shipments to customers.

Trucks were rolling out of the Coryton refinery near London on Thursday morning for the first time since the British subsidiary was placed in administration two days earlier.

Petroplus said on Wednesday that it had begun various forms of insolvency proceedings in Switzerland, France and Germany.

The company said a court had appointed Jaffe Rechtsanwaelte Insolvenzverwalter as administrator of the German operations. In France, FHB Administrateurs Judiciaires is administering the Petroplus operations.

Petroplus said it had filed in Switzerland for composition proceedings, a form of bankruptcy in which the company claims it acted in good faith.

Petroplus, Europe's largest independent oil refiner, filed for insolvency after failing to reach an agreement with its lenders on its $1.75 billion credit line.

Petroplus reported a net loss of $413 million in the first nine months of last year.

The company had announced on Dec. 30 that it would temporarily shut down its French and Belgian refineries "given limited credit availability and the economic climate in Europe."

Trading in the Petroplus shares had been suspended on Monday.

Refinery profitability has been squeezed as operating expenses and the cost of crude oil rose faster than the value of the products, and the economic slowdown in Europe has added to the pressure.

A survey by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie in 2010 found that 29 of 96 refineries in the European Union did not generate a positive net cash margin.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_petroplus

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